The Right Wife by Beverly Barton

Author:Beverly Barton [Barton, Beverly]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Fiction, Historical romance, American
ISBN: 9781601832801
Publisher: eKensington
Published: 2014-06-04T21:00:00+00:00

Three hours later, Maggie and Jude, dressed in their Sunday best tan muslins, sat in Thayer’s carriage while Micah helped Phineas load their belongings. Micah, boyishly handsome in his white cotton shirt and brown broadcloth trousers, grinned excitedly as he jumped up into the carriage.

“The big night is almost here,” he announced.

“You have yourself a good time, Miss Maggie,” Daisy called out as the carriage moved away from the Coleman town house.

Maggie relaxed as they rode through town and onto Memphis Pike. She noticed that the summertime green of the scenery had changed a little in the weeks since her visit to White Orchard. Thayer had told her that Silver Hill was farther west, almost on the Mississippi-Alabama state line, and that the acreage lay almost equally in both states.

She was very fond of Thayer and knew he cared for her as well. He had made it perfectly clear that, if he were Aaron Stone, he would marry her in a minute, with no doubts or delays. He didn’t give a damn about local society and respectability. Maggie had pointed out that being a Coleman had made him a bit arrogant. In his customary good-natured way, he had agreed.

“I wish I didn’t have to eat with the babies,” Jude said. “It’s not fair that Micah gets to eat with the grown-ups.”

“Micah will be seventeen in another month,” Maggie said.

“Don’t worry, heathen. I’m sure you’ll attend more than your share of fancy dinners and big parties one of these days.” Micah reached out and mussed his little sister’s hair.

Maggie was sure Micah was right. One day, Judith Campbell would be a lady, with all doors open wide to admit her.

All doors, except the Colemans’ and Mobleys’, were closed to Maggie and could very well stay closed forever. She had risked a great deal to be with Aaron that Saturday at White Orchard, and she had lost. Her reputation was ruined, and only through Mrs. Mobley’s continued friendship and patronage of Miss Loretta and several of her “girls” was Maggie able to earn a living sewing. She had no doubt that Thayer had arranged for the local madam’s business. Maggie was not too proud to sew for the woman and her friends. She knew their money was tainted with sin but tainted money spent as well as any other kind, and it would buy Micah and Jude proper educations.

Maggie clutched her small cloth handbag lying in her lap. Inside, in a tiny black case, was a pair of diamond and aquamarine earrings. Phineas had delivered them to her the day before, saying the box had been left without a note. She was almost certain that they were a gift from Thayer, and she had every intention of returning them. But what if he had not sent them? What if they had come from Aaron?

The thought of seeing Aaron again excited her as much as it frightened her. He had neither come to see her nor sent a message in the two days since his return to Colbert County.

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